Midwestern cities among best places for singles

Zillow Published: May 15, 2014 11:33 AM

By Natalie Wise

While it might seem silly to count the number of bars and restaurants, and the cost of an average date when looking at which city to live in, the questions don’t seem so odd if you’re single. Those factors and more combine in Nerd Wallet’s list of the 10 Best Cities for Singles.

To calculate the scores for the 50 largest cities in the country, these considerations were taken into account: the percentage of the population that is over age 15 and unmarried, the number of bars and restaurants per 1,000 people, the cost of an average pizza-and-movie date, the ease of transportation (as calculated by a Walk Score) and the unemployment rate.

The No. 1 city is Boston, which has the lowest cost of the average date, great transportation options and a rich cultural heritage to explore on dates. The median rental housing cost in the city is approximately $2,600, according to HotPads.

On average in cities across the country, unmarried people make up 52 percent of the population. In the No. 2 city on this list, Washington, D.C., that percentage is 73 percent.

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New York City, while actually having the lowest rate of unmarried people of the cities on the list, is still above the national average, at 66 percent of the population. New York City also boasts the highest number of bars and restaurants.

Detroit is the No. 4 city and a great place for singles. In fact, the city has the highest percentage of unmarried people: 77.9 percent of the population. No. 5, Baltimore, also features one of the highest concentrations of singles at 73.78 percent.

Ohio was not left off the list. Cleveland ranks No. 6, scoring high in affordable dates, number of singles and ease of transportation and walkability. The median rental housing cost in Cleveland is less than other major cities at $795.

Sunny hot-spot Miami is No. 7 on the list, featuring a high number of bars, restaurants, and, of course, beaches.

Chicago, No. 8, has the second-highest number of restaurants and bars. New Orleans, No. 9, may be one of the smallest cities on the list, but it has a high percentage of singles and affordable date options.

Minneapolis takes the last spot on the list with its low unemployment rate (4 percent) and great walk score.